The venerable alumni of now-defunct Tech High School are reminiscing and celebrating their scholarship fund efforts at a luncheon Saturday at the Atlanta Country Club in east Cobb.

Tech High was one of five Atlanta high schools, segregated by male and female students, at the turn of the 20th century. The academic and social influence on male students made an impact throughout their lifetimes and inspired Tech High graduates to continue alumni support via college scholarship programs long after the high school was closed in the 1940s and co-ed students merged into today’s city-county school systems.

Graduate D.L. Claborn is chairing the event. There are about 60 registered male alumni participating in the gathering. The youngest will turn 84 this year.

The annual Tech High School Alumni Association reunions over the years have served as a socializing opportunity for former students, families and friends and a fundraiser for the continuing scholarship program. This will mark the first time the Atlanta Country Club has hosted the event, which includes a seated luncheon, live music and speakers reminiscing on the glory days of Tech High.

The alumni scholarship program is administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta. Funds from the luncheon will be used for four 2013 academic awards.

Remembered in the annals of Atlanta educational history as the “School of Champions,” Tech High was an incubator for young male leaders and doers prior to World War II, with illustrious alumni extending into the 21st century across the South and worldwide. First located on Marietta Street in 1909, then moved in 1924 to Jackson Street (now Parkway Drive and home to Grady High School), Tech High continued to graduate exceptional scholars until it closed in 1947. After WWII, male students were integrated into the present Atlanta co-ed high school systems.

Tickets and information: Cecil Walker, (770) 854-5444.

o o o

Memorial Day weekend will be more meaningful to Atlantans if they take the time to attend the Atlanta History Center’s annual Military Timeline family program Saturday at the main campus on West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead.

The 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. program will take visitors through the event, commemorating servicemen and servicewomen with veterans and interpreters representing revolutionary times to current conflicts.

Veterans will share personal stories and memorabilia as they interact with history interpreters representing various wars. From a realistic Civil War encampment at the Smith Family Farm to displays of military vehicles and kid-friendly crafts and role-playing activities, it promises to be a family experience.

Highlights of the day will be two speakers: retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Michael N. Henderson, the first African American in Georgia to be inducted into the National Society Sons of the American Revolution; and Phil Nordyke, author of “Put Us Down in Hell: The Combat History of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II.”

The program is free to members and those with military ID. All permanent displays will also be open for self-guided tours. The public can participate with general admission tickets.

Funding for the program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the Fulton County Arts Council.

Founded in 1926, the nonprofit center is an all-inclusive, 33-acre destination featuring one of the Southeast’s largest history museums, two historic houses (the Swan House and the Smith Family Farm), the Centennial Olympic Games Museum, the Kenan Research Center, the Grand Overlook event space, Chick-fil-A at the Coca-Cola Café, a museum shop and acres of historic gardens.

The Veterans Park was originally conceived as a small entranceway on Slaton Drive to honor Vietnam veterans. The expanded 22-acre space being dedicated this Memorial Day weekend will feature a walled contemplative garden designed by award-winning landscape architect Mack Cain, a soothing water feature and seating area for the public to contemplate American military heroes.

A British-style garden party June 1 hosted by the Atlanta branch of the English Speaking Union of the United States will bid a fond farewell to British Consul General Annabelle Malins and her husband, James Malins, at their Buckhead residence.

The consul general is concluding her four-year appointment in the Southeast and will return to the United Kingdom to await future posting abroad.

Union members and guests will don festive attire as they sample sweetmeats and sip glasses of traditional Pimms Cup to honor the consul general and her service.

Founded in 1920 and headquartered in New York, the union is a nonprofit, nonpolitical charitable organization with the mission to celebrate English as a shared language and to foster global understanding and goodwill by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators and members.

The Atlanta regional branch is one of 70 throughout America with committed volunteers dedicated to undertaking educational and fellowship functions to nurture and enhance our nation’s linguistics heritage through local outreach programs.

Summer soccer mania is kicking off! The Latin American Association and Georgia soccer teams will partner to host a free soccer day and fourth annual Copa Latina de Atlanta charity tournament June 1 at the Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium in DeKalb County.

The association, the largest provider of social and immigration legal services in Atlanta, will present the full day of fun during the annual soccer tournament featuring youth, adult, individual and corporate teams with divisions for all-male, co-ed and all-female lineups. Each team will play at least two games, and all players will receive a T-shirt.

Everyone can play! Families are invited to come out to the Silverbacks site for an exciting day of soccer and activities for all ages. There will be free soccer clinics for children, face painting, relay races, inflatable games, live entertainment and community resources information. Games start at 8:30 a.m. and fiesta day continues until 4 p.m. Food and beverages will be sold.

Funds raised through the event will benefit the children and families served by the association, which strives to empower metro Atlanta Latinos to achieve their educational, social and economic aspirations.

CHRIS Kids is hosting its lively annual Premiere Party benefit June 1 at Mason Murer Fine Art on Armour Drive in south Buckhead.

A silent auction will raise funds, and a socializing summertime cocktail party with a Grey Goose mixology station and catered food will introduce the good works of the professional staff and volunteers at the CHRIS Kids Center.

De rigueur dress is white to celebrate the goal to unlock the potential of Georgia’s youth and strengthen families by providing a hand up, not just a handout, through integrated services.

Volunteer co-chairs are Brent Garner and Vandy Beth Glenn. Funds raised at the event are designated to support general programs at CHRIS Kids facilities.

CHRIS is an acronym representing core values: Creativity, Honor, Respect, Integrity and Safety. Since 1981, the CHRIS Kids mission has been to heal children, strengthen families and build community. It is Georgia’s first nonprofit specializing in group homes for children and youth with behavioral and emotional challenges who could not thrive in foster homes. An array of programs through eight resident homes and an apartment community under the CHRIS Kids banner offers a variety of family services to people ages 6 to 24.

*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides